


The Sleeping Spell

by calenlily



Category: Fairy Tales and Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-24
Updated: 2010-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-14 01:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/143967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calenlily/pseuds/calenlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A disguised princess cast in enchanted sleep. A wicked sorcerer. Seven suitors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sleeping Spell

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ghinry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghinry/gifts).



Once there lived a maiden, born a noble lady of the seelie court of the fae, who was sent at birth to the human world for protection. For it had been prophesized that she would be a great power for the forces of light, and it was deemed wise to hide her away from those who would wish her harm and from the intrigues of the fae courts while she was yet young and vulnerable.

As she grew, she did not fit in quite naturally with her human family, as often is often the case with changelings, and she was from an early age fascinated with all things mystical. But these were the only indications that she might be anything other than an ordinary human, and they were small enough indications.

The maiden became well known for her vivacious spirit and caring heart. As she neared her coming of age, she was courted by one Sir Thomas, and she favored him at first. But after a time he proved cruel, and so she withdrew her affections. She was courted next by Sir Anthony, and in time she became betrothed to him. But he too proved cruel of spirit, and she forsook him and left her home and human family to pursue her education.

By this time, her fae heritage was beginning to show through. She cast aside the name given her by her human parents and found her true name, the Lady Alexandra. And she developed a certain indefinable allure, which often perplexed both herself and her companions. For now there were many who wished to court her, and she knew not why or what to do with so much attention, for she was too kindhearted to turn them away.

In the years when she was away at school, she was courted by the bold Sir Aaron; witty Sir James; worldly Sir John; Sir Jeremy, a dear friend and excellent dancer; and sweet, quiet Sir Michael, whom she favored most. In this time also she met her dearest friends, Lady Sharon and Lady Maeve, from whom she was rarely parted.

When she had been away at school some three years, there arose a wicked sorcerer who dreamed of conquest. He had his eyes on both the faerie and human realms, and he learned of the Lady Alexandra and was able to locate her in the human world. The sorcerer stole her away from where she had been living and laid on her an enchanted sleep. He left her in the faerie realm, far from any who would know and help her, in a secluded cave that, though it had seven openings spread evenly around its circular walls and another above, could not be entered save after undergoing a magical trial.

The sorcerer had miscalculated, however, for this cave was in the territory of a colony of sprites – small, flighty creatures of the faerie world. Their magic, though slight, was of a wild strain rarely accounted for by the workers of more sophisticated magics, and so they could pass effortlessly through the cave’s defenses. They soon found the maiden lying there and looked into her memories to determine how she had come to be in their territory.

Recognizing her as a noble fae to whom they owed their allegiance, they identified those they perceived as closest to her and sought their help.

The sprites went first to Lady Sharon and Lady Maeve, and told them what had befallen their friend the Lady Alexandra. Straightaway the maidens inquired what could be done to aid their companion, and the sprites set to them quests to retrieve a number of magical weapons and artifacts that would be necessary to defeat the sorcerer.

Next the sprites went to Lady Alexandra’s seven suitors, and told each of them what had befallen her. Most were suspicious at first, not having learned yet of the lady’s disappearance and disinclined to believe in faerie and sorcery. But eventually they were persuaded that the lady was in danger and in need of their aid, and the sprites set them at each of the seven entrances to the cave to attempt the trials.

One by one they made it through, until six stood inside the cave, looking on where Lady Alexandra lay as if dead upon a vast violet cushion with a cloud of sprites hovering over her. But Sir Thomas was seduced away into the sorcerer’s service and did not make it through the trial.

When all were assembled who would be, the sprites informed the men that their lady would not awaken until kissed by the one who loved her truly, and no other. Unfortunately, they did not know who that was. The wrong one would doom her never to wake, they cautioned, and she was the only one who could take the instruments being gathered by more reliable agents – a pronouncement at which the men were much offended – and defeat the wicked sorcerer. The sprites then left Lady Alexandra’s suitors to decide which of them should kiss her.

Sir Anthony first proposed that it must be him, since he had been her betrothed. But the others questioned him on who he was and did not think highly of him, for they had known the lady more recently and had heard how she spoke of him. Sir Anthony continued to argue with the others – all except Sir Aaron, who withdrew from the conversation nearly unnoticed. But Sir James soon realized that someone was missing from the group, and looked about in time to see Sir Aaron pull a dagger and move to stab the lady. Sir James and Sir John quickly restrained him.

Sir Jeremy looked to the sprites. “Can you not do something to stop him?” he appealed. Obligingly the sprites froze both Sir Aaron and Sir Anthony where they stood.

The remaining suitors continued to debate. Afraid lest they presume too much and doom the lady, each deferred to the others.

“Maybe the spell wants new love,” Sir James proposed. “Sir Jeremy, you’ve mostly only been friends with her before…”

“And likely will never be more,” Sir Jeremy countered. “Sir Michael, she’s favored you most…”

“True,” Sir Michael conceded. “But lately she’s favored me less and Sir James and Sir John more…”

And so it continued, until Sir Jeremy noticed that the cushion upon which Lady Alexandra was lying, which had previously been bathed in sunlight, was now half in shadow. He inquired about it, and the sprites explained, “Time passes more slowly within this cave than without. Though it may have seemed only a few hours to you, in the time that you have been here, days, even weeks passed outside. The seelie court of the fae has gone to war with the sorcerer, but the tide of the battle is against them. If the shadow covers your lady completely, it will be too late for her and for all, for the realm will have been lost.”

At this the men went back to arguing – save Sir Jeremy, who conversed with the sprite who had brought him to the cave, attempting to find out more about the situation. Thus he was the first to notice when the sprites began rapidly changing colors. As he looked on in confusion, at once an imp – a small dark faerie creature allied with the unseelie fae – flew in the seventh entrance, with Sir Thomas dashing in close behind it.

Straightaway the sprites began to attack the imp. But the men were hardly noticed this, for they were distracted by Sir Thomas declaring, “I apologize for my late arrival. I have been sidetracked, for I’ve discovered the sprites are conspiring against us, stalling you for time. In truth, any of you could have woken the lady. In fact, I could.”

And before anyone could react, so stunned were they by this turn of events, Sir Thomas bent to kiss her.

But when he was only inches away, Lady Alexandra’s eyes flew open. She straightened up and thrust out a hand, and Sir Thomas burst apart into a flight of bats, which flapped out the upper opening. Then the lady’s eyes rolled back, and she sank back onto the cushion, fast asleep again.

The men looked at each other, uncomprehending and utterly perplexed.

It was to this scene that Lady Sharon and Lady Maeve arrived bearing the artifacts they had gathered, their quests completed. They looked from the sleeping Lady Alexandra to her dazed suitors, then turned to each other.

“It is fortunate that we arrived when we did,” Lady Sharon murmured.

“Not a moment too soon,” Lady Maeve agreed.

Then Lady Maeve leaned down and kissed the Lady Alexandra on the forehead, and Lady Sharon knelt also and kissed Lady Alexandra’s cheek. And, behold, Lady Alexandra’s eyes fluttered open.

Slowly she sat up and took in her surroundings. “What has happened?” she inquired, disoriented.

They all began to recount the tumultuous events at once, but ultimately a coherent narrative emerged.

When the tale was told, Lady Sharon and Lady Maeve presented to her the objects they had collected. Lady Alexandra accepted them, but kept for herself only a small tiara and a silver wand, and distributed the rest among her companions.

The magic that was her birthright coming naturally to her, she created a doorway in the air through which could be seen the sorcerer’s castle and the battlefield before it.

About to step through, Lady Alexandra paused when she saw the men were still arguing, now about how she could have been woken in such a way.

“The sprites said ‘she will not awaken until kissed by the one who loved her truly, and no other’,” Sir John protested.

“About this one thing, at least, Sir Thomas was correct,” Lady Alexandra explained. “Any of you could have woken me. The sprites misspoke, or misunderstood, for they are hardly the most intelligent of creatures. It should not have been "the one," but "a one," for love is not exclusive.”

That said, she led them through the doorway to take on the sorcerer, and this time all followed close behind.


End file.
